First a comment, it was good to hear that professor got confirmation from the CUE conference that this is a good idea – I guess collectively we will find out if this works well for the class.
Blogs are something that already has had an impact in the U.S. and throughout the world.
Here is one example. Blogs have been a pain to the MSM (Main Stream Media). It turns out their stories can be quickly vetted and checked for accuracy and they have taken them to tasks if there are some things amiss. For example Dan Rather of CBS felt the sting of the blogosphere when he tried to push false papers accusing President Bush of missing his physicals while in the National Guard – he was actually attempting to influence an election just before the vote. The Blogs throughout the land brought to bear their expertise within hours and totally debunked the story proving the documents FALSE! It is like Portacio mentioned tonight – “There is no one in this class smart enough as the whole of this class” There was power in the individual and the group - the power of the link!
Another example is CNN executive Easton Jordan who resigned from his post after he accused the U.S. Military of targeting journalists at the World Economic Forum in Davos. It was a blogger that made his comments known. It created a furor that did not die down until CNN was forced to fire him (sorry – he “retired”). The outrageous comments would have gone unnoticed in the past.
On a different vein, Blogs also can serve industry. For example you can comment directly on the Blog of General Motors president Bob Lutz. Imagine that you have DIRECT access to his thoughts on his company and the products and you can post your opinions directly with the head of one of the largest corporations in the world! Find his blog here: Bob Lutz
How about the edusphere?
Imagine that teachers can blog their hearts out to pursuing their interests and sharing insights. This has the potential of changing the educational Zeitgesit!
There is a blog for example of a relatively new teacher in the Bronks, N.Y. in what he calls “Shitty High School” and he keeps everything anonymous for obvious reasons – but you get an insight into what is happening at that school with the students, administration, and peers. You can find him at: Mr. Babylon. Read his post on Animal Boy - its a hoot!
Other teacher’s blogs with the potential of creating their own Chautauqua are:
Public thought and opinion are changing the world like never ever before – this appears indeed to be a revolution, or as Hugh Hewitt prefers to call it calls it, "A Reformation" akin to Martin Luther's Reformation! A stretch? I don't know - what do you think?
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